Last week, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) published the results of their annual “Domestic Violence Counts” survey. This study, conducted every fall, provides a one-day snapshot of the demand for services from domestic violence programs across the country and in each state. Several things stood out from the data collected in Massachusetts.
A big “thank you” to everyone who made last week’s Say Hi to Your Neighbors Week in Waltham a reality. We kicked off the week on Monday morning, bright and early on a chilly morning (thankfully not quite as cold as last year!) handing out coffee and saying hi to commuters at two train stations in town. At a City Council meeting that evening, Councilors Diane…
It’s that time of year again, when we encourage Waltham residents (and others!) to get out and get to know their neighbors. This year we are especially excited that we have two amazing volunteers who have agreed to head up this effort! In the spirit of getting to know one another, we thought we’d give you a chance to get to know these two volunteers extraordinaire!…
Throughout this year and especially in the past couple months there have been ample opportunities to engage in conversation with friends and family about domestic violence. Here at REACH we believe that everyone has a role in preventing domestic violence; whether it be while watching the Superbowl or the Grammys or hearing your colleagues discuss the movie 50 Shades of Grey, we ask that you do…
It seemed like the whole world was talking about the opening of the 50 Shades of Grey movie this past weekend. There were as many different perspectives as there were people talking. Some see in this cultural phenomenon a tale of sexual awakening and pushing the boundaries of conventional sexual mores. Some see a level of sexual explicitness not appropriate for mainstream culture. Some see an…
What Serial, the Cosby allegations and other stories teach us about the dynamics of dating violence and sexual assault Fans of the podcast “Serial” rejoiced today when a new episode was released after a 2-week break due to the Thanksgiving holiday. I’ll admit it: I’m hooked. This podcast has become a cultural phenomenon, and after seeing one too many tweets about it, I couldn’t help but…
At a Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) event in late October, some of my colleagues from other organizations noticed how tired I looked and began to commiserate. “DVAM is just so crazy every year,” and “I just can’t wait for November” statements were shared throughout the evening. I listened and laughed with them about all the educational materials living in the trunks of our cars and…
On October 18th, we held our annual Reach for the Stars Gala at the Renaissance Hotel in Boston. The event was a huge success and raised approximately $400,000 to benefit REACH’s programs and services. One of the highlights of the evening was hearing from a member of our Survivor Speakers’ Bureau who spoke powerfully about her experience of leaving an abusive relationship with help from a…
As Domestic Violence Awareness Month draws to a close, we want to encourage you to think about what comes next. Over the past few months there has been a lot of discussion and dialogue about intimate partner violence, due to recent passed legislation here in Massachusetts and high profile cases that left us asking tough questions like, “Why does someone stay in abusive relationship?” and “How…
One of the survivors in REACH’s Survivor Speakers’ Bureau recently shared her experience with domestic violence and how it impacted her faith. Here is an excerpt from the story she shared. I want to share with you about my experience with domestic violence and how it has affected my faith in God. As a young adult, I moved to Boston to go to graduate school. I…
